These Homemade Strawberry Shortcakes have a sweetened, tender, buttery biscuit, a sweet strawberry filling, and a pillowy soft vanilla whipped cream topping. Perfect for spring and summer gatherings, this classic layered dessert is as stunning as it is delicious.
What we love about these Strawberry Shortcakes
These homemade shortcakes are tender, buttery, sweet, and the perfect combination with the strawberries and whipped cream. Every bite is an incedible melt-in-your mouth treat! The cream and sugar in the shortcakes make these just a little more delicate, tender, and sweet than your average biscuit, and they taste so good with the berries and cream. If you have any leftover shortcakes, these also make yummy breakfast sandwiches with ham, egg, and cheese.
I love the strawberries with the shortcakes. Be generous serving the strawberries. I prefer these with a mound of strawberries in the shortcakes and whipped cream served on the side, but they can be stacked and eaten as well. The pillowy, vanilla whipped cream is the best accompaniment to the strawberries and shortcakes.
Looking for some more spring and summer desserts? Try our delicious Lemon Tassies, our Old-Fashioned Blueberry Cobbler, Strawberry Glazed Pie, Cream Cheese and Strawberry Pie, Fruit Pizza Cookies with Berries, and our Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
What you need to make this Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
You will need the following ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Whipping cream
- Strawberries
- Lemon juice
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
Strawberry Shortcake Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You could substitute strawberries for other berries, or a combination of berries. Or try other fruits like peaches or apples.
- You could purchase store-bought whipped cream and substitute that for homemade whipped cream.
- If you don’t like the vanilla flavor in the whipped cream, you could omit it.
- You could purchase store-bought biscuits instead of making homemade ones. I do prefer these homemade shortcakes to other biscuits because they are made with a little cream and sugar, which makes them perfect for dessert.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar.
Step 2. Cut the butter into small cubes. Add the butter to the flour mixture and cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter, or using two knives in a scissor-like motion until the butter and flour are well blended. The dough will look like coarse crumbs with bits of flour-coated butter the size of small peas.
Step 3. Add ½ cup + 2 tablespoons of cream to the dough and gently mix with a fork until the dough is just coming together. The dough will look shaggy. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat the dough together (do not knead, you don’t want to overwork the dough). Fold the dough into thirds like an envelope, turn the dough, and repeat 2-3 more times. At first, it won’t all stick together, but it will come together as you repeat the folding.
Step 4. Pat the dough into a one-inch circle. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut into 6 rounds. Press the biscuit cutter straight down; do not twist, and place the shortcakes about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Combine the dough scraps, pat them together, cut the remaining dough, and place them on the baking sheet. These last shortcakes won’t look as nice as the first. Brush the shortcakes with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Place them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to resolidify the butter before baking. While the biscuits are in the freezer, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the shortcakes for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.
Step 5. 30 minutes before serving, stir together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl to let them macerate. In a separate medium-sized bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft to medium-stiff peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Step 6. To serve, cut the shortcakes in half, generously spoon the macerated strawberries onto the bottom half of the shortcake, and dollop with whipped cream before capping, or serve whipped cream on the side. Serve immediately
Tips
Tips for making shortcake biscuits:
- Try not to overwork the dough once you’ve cut in the butter. Once the cream is mixed in, the dough will be shaggy. Pour it onto the counter, and gently pat it together; you don’t want to knead it. Fold it gently in thirds, like an envelope, turn and repeat the folding a couple more times, and the dough will gradually come together. If you knead it and work it too much, the biscuits will be tough and may not rise evenly.
- It’s important when you cut the dough with the biscuit cutter not to twist the dough cutter. Press it straight into the dough and lift it out. When you twist the edges of the dough, it seals the edges of the dough layers and prevents an even rise, so one side might rise higher than another.
- Chilling the dough in the freezer before baking solidifies the butter and helps to ensure a higher rise, flakier layers, and a more tender shortcake.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Can Homemade Strawberry Shortcakes be made in advance? |
| a. These shortcakes are best served the day they are made. Once they are assembled, they will become soggy if not eaten soon. The biscuits are most fresh the day they are baked, and the macerated berries are best within an hour of stirring with the sugar and lemon juice. The whipped cream, however, can be made the day before, covered, and refrigerated until serving. |
| How do I store Homemade Strawberry Shortcakes? |
| a. Store each item separately before serving, with leftovers stored separately as well. Store the unassembled biscuits in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to one month. b. Macerated berries can be stored, covered, in the fridge for 1-2 days. Over time, the berries become softer and soggier as they release their juices. You can freeze them, but they will be very soggy after thawing. They could still be used, though, for smoothies or a sauce. c. I make whipped cream with powdered sugar, which helps to stabilize it, so it can last up to 3 days, covered in the fridge. While you can freeze it for up to 3 months, I generally don’t as the texture can change after thawing. (We also never have leftovers after 3 days.) |
Homemade Strawberry Shortcakes
These Homemade Strawberry Shortcakes have a sweetened, tender, buttery biscuit, a sweet strawberry filling, and a pillowy soft vanilla whipped cream topping. Perfect for spring and summer gatherings, this classic layered dessert is as stunning as it is delicious.
30
minutes15
minutes15
minutes8-9
shortcakesIngredients
Shortcakes
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour, measured with the spoon and level method
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
2 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons whipped cream, plus extra for brushing
Strawberries
4 cups sliced strawberries
½ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (I add the extra 2 tablespoons of sugar if the strawberries are less sweet)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
⅓ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar.
- Cut the butter into small cubes. Add the butter to the flour mixture and cut it into the flour with a pastry cutter, or using two knives in a scissor-like motion until the butter and flour are well blended. The dough will look like coarse crumbs with bits of flour-coated butter the size of small peas.
- Add ½ cup + 2 tablespoons of cream to the dough and gently mix with a fork until the dough is just coming together. The dough will look shaggy.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat the dough together (do not knead, you don’t want to overwork the dough). Fold the dough into thirds like an envelope, turn the dough, and repeat 2-3 more times. At first, it won’t all stick together, but it will come together as you repeat the folding.
- Pat the dough into a one-inch circle. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut into 6 rounds. Press the biscuit cutter straight down; do not twist, and place the shortcakes about an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Combine the dough scraps, pat them together, cut the remaining dough, and place them on the baking sheet. These last shortcakes won’t look as nice as the first.
- Brush the shortcakes with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Place them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to resolidify the butter before baking. While the biscuits are in the freezer, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake the shortcakes for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Place on a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
- 30 minutes before serving, stir together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl to let them macerate. In a separate medium-sized bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft to medium-stiff peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
- To serve, cut the shortcakes in half, generously spoon the macerated strawberries onto the bottom half of the shortcake, and dollop with whipped cream before capping, or serve whipped cream on the side. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I like a generous amount of strawberries when serving these strawberry shortcakes, as they provide so much flavor and a little juiciness to the dessert. Feel free to spoon the macerated strawberries generously onto the biscuit when serving, or also pour some strawberries and juice over the top of the shortcakes.
- These biscuits are slightly sweeter with the sugar and cream than a buttermilk biscuit. They are lovely as a dessert biscuit, and we also really like them for ham, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches. Try them with butter and honey or jam if you like, they are delicious!
- Try not to overwork the dough once you’ve cut in the butter. Once the cream is mixed in, the dough will be shaggy. Pour it onto the counter, and gently pat it together; you don’t want to knead it. Fold it gently in thirds, like an envelope, turn and repeat the folding a couple more times, and the dough will gradually come together. If you knead it and work it too much, the biscuits will be tough and may not rise evenly.
- It’s important when you cut the dough with the biscuit cutter not to twist the dough cutter. Press it straight into the dough and lift it out. When you twist the edges of the dough, it seals the edges of the dough layers and prevents an even rise, so one side might rise higher than another.
- Chilling the dough in the fridge before baking solidifies the butter and helps to ensure a higher rise, flakier layers, and a more tender biscuit.
Oh my! I need to try this shortcake immediately, looks delicious!
Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy them, they are a favorite here!
This sounds like the perfect spring and summer dessert. I love the combination of buttery biscuits, fresh strawberries, and soft whipped cream. Saving this to try soon!
I’m so glad to hear you like it. Everyone loves these at our house, I hope you enjoy them!